1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the application of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology for the personal performance monitoring of outdoor athletes, such as runners, bicyclists, hikers, walkers, skaters, skiers, and so forth, and providing the athlete with real-time performance feedback and optional long-term trend analysis.
2. Background Art
Running, bicycling, and other outdoor sports are becoming increasingly popular as more information about their health benefits becomes available. In order to improve over time, it is important to be able to accurately measure one's performance and progress. Using runners by way of example, this can presently only be done indoors on treadmills. Treadmills provide the runner with continuous read-outs of time, distance, speed, pace, inclination, calories burned, and so forth. Outdoors, the runner is limited to wristwatches with built-in stop watches, heart rate monitors, or pedometers.
The development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) by the United States Department of Defense has greatly enhanced one's ability to navigate. Currently, a constellation of high altitude GPS satellites are in orbit and available to provide continuous worldwide position fixes in all types of weather conditions. With the use of GPS receivers, the radio wave signals can be received and used to calculate the current latitude and longitude position coordinates at the receiving location. This system is currently achieving recognition as the superior position locator system for providing accurate worldwide fixes. GPS technology is becoming widely available. New applications, such as dashboard mounted GPS in automobiles are being introduced. Hand held GPS devices are presently on the market for boating, fishing, and hunting. These devices are generally limited to navigation uses only. A visual display is used to show current geographic location, destinations, and navigation instructions for travelling to a selected location. These units are not, however, designed for use by an outdoor athlete. They do not include real-time athletic performance algorithms, audible presentation of information, a means for storing historical exercise session data, or a means for entertaining the athlete. The housings are bulky and typically incorporate built-in GPS antennas, preventing one's ability to conveniently carry the devices while exercising without blocking some or all of the satellite signals. The exclusively visual means of conveying information employed by current devices requires frequent visual interaction, compromising the safety and concentration of the user, making them incompatible with exercise activities.
Thus, there exists a need for a portable GPS unit that is small and light enough to be carried or worn by an outdoor athlete which incorporates real-time athletic performance algorithms for continuously monitoring the athlete's progress and reporting his/her progress periodically during the exercise session. Real-time audio reports would assist and motivate the athlete to improve his/her performance without any visual distractions. An integrated radio can provide the athlete with entertainment.